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Caged Birds
“I knew my best life was buried here. I was ready to unearth it and soar.”
Phoenix returns to Nigeria, eager to reconnect with her roots and rediscover herself. But what should have been a beautiful journey quickly takes a dark turn.
He walks into her life-charming, confident, and all smiles. He sweeps her off her feet before she can see the cracks in his facade. And when the mask finally slips, the man beneath is far more dangerous than she could have imagined.
Now, Phoenix is caged—physically, mentally, financially. His grip tightens. But in the darkness, she finds light. Six women stand beside her.
His caged birds.
Bound by pain and circumstance. Through it all, they find solace in their friendship.
When Phoenix finally recognises her own worth, he makes one last desperate attempt to pull her back in. But this time, she refuses to be caged.
This Phoenix is ready to rise.
Phoenix returns to Nigeria, eager to reconnect with her roots and rediscover herself. But what should have been a beautiful journey quickly takes a dark turn.
He walks into her life-charming, confident, and all smiles. He sweeps her off her feet before she can see the cracks in his facade. And when the mask finally slips, the man beneath is far more dangerous than she could have imagined.
Now, Phoenix is caged—physically, mentally, financially. His grip tightens. But in the darkness, she finds light. Six women stand beside her.
His caged birds.
Bound by pain and circumstance. Through it all, they find solace in their friendship.
When Phoenix finally recognises her own worth, he makes one last desperate attempt to pull her back in. But this time, she refuses to be caged.
This Phoenix is ready to rise.
397 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 25, 2025
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 29, 2025
“It was bizarre but I couldn't deny I was excited to be going to Dubai again— even if it was for my ex-/abuser/married boyfriend’s wedding to a second unlawful wife”. This line made me want to find Phoenix and remind her of whose daughter she is 😭😭.
Caged Birds follows the story of Phoenix, a young woman who returns to Nigeria hoping to reconnect with her roots and maybe, finally, with herself. But the journey meant to be about self-discovery quickly becomes a lesson in survival.
During her NYSC, she had the role of a receptionist which was a nightmare. One minute her boss is making passes at her and the next, he's being derogatory and giving his best shot at making her feel less of herself.
When Phoenix gets the opportunity to move to a new workplace that was supposed to be her safe haven, it worsens. I have a personal beef with her new boss Ike but I will leave the fight for another day. 😓😓
Phoenix tries to rise above it all, to just do her job and prove herself. But Ike crosses boundaries, he takes advantage of her and other female staff. Ike has to be the face of villainy and horrible bosses. Phoenix trusted him with her career and friendship but he was keen on seeing her constantly fight with other women in the novel using control, rivalry and being condescending.
The novel follows the theme of gender inequality at work, colourism, sexual abuse and its aftermath, sisterhood/friendship, childhood trauma, body image, obsession and control, and healing. Though Phoenix’s story made me almost get into the book to pull her ears, I love how self-aware she was. Through the author’s writing, you see Phoenix break, rebuild, and finally find a version of herself that’s whole again.
My only struggle with Caged Birds? There were too many characters and it got hard to keep up (thanks to Ike recruiting women from every part of the world).
Caged Birds is about healing and finding yourself again. I love that Phoenix got a good ending.
Caged Birds follows the story of Phoenix, a young woman who returns to Nigeria hoping to reconnect with her roots and maybe, finally, with herself. But the journey meant to be about self-discovery quickly becomes a lesson in survival.
During her NYSC, she had the role of a receptionist which was a nightmare. One minute her boss is making passes at her and the next, he's being derogatory and giving his best shot at making her feel less of herself.
When Phoenix gets the opportunity to move to a new workplace that was supposed to be her safe haven, it worsens. I have a personal beef with her new boss Ike but I will leave the fight for another day. 😓😓
Phoenix tries to rise above it all, to just do her job and prove herself. But Ike crosses boundaries, he takes advantage of her and other female staff. Ike has to be the face of villainy and horrible bosses. Phoenix trusted him with her career and friendship but he was keen on seeing her constantly fight with other women in the novel using control, rivalry and being condescending.
The novel follows the theme of gender inequality at work, colourism, sexual abuse and its aftermath, sisterhood/friendship, childhood trauma, body image, obsession and control, and healing. Though Phoenix’s story made me almost get into the book to pull her ears, I love how self-aware she was. Through the author’s writing, you see Phoenix break, rebuild, and finally find a version of herself that’s whole again.
My only struggle with Caged Birds? There were too many characters and it got hard to keep up (thanks to Ike recruiting women from every part of the world).
Caged Birds is about healing and finding yourself again. I love that Phoenix got a good ending.
Displaying 1 of 1 review